August 2014

The failure of captains to properly evacuate their ships, and crews that did not follow emergency procedures, contributed to the deaths of hundreds in two major passenger vessel casualties in the past two years.

Built five years ago to ply the English Channel, Norman Leader never sailed due to a dispute between the buyer and builder over deadweight capacity. Now the ferry has a new name, Nova Star, and a new role: reviving service between Maine and Nova Scotia.

The U.S. Coast Guard has begun to test automatic identification system (AIS) aids to navigation, including virtual buoys, on the West Coast as the first step toward introducing them around the country.

A commuter ferry struck a New York City pier in January 2013 as a result of the captain losing control because he was unaware the propulsion system was in backup mode, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined.

A fire aboard a Mississippi River towboat in 2012 spread rapidly and caused severe damage because the crew was unable to shut down ventilation and deploy suppression, according to an investigative report.